Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-10-19

at ZIG topL Va ffEtlStI SS1I@% - "a - -
of the whole city of Great Falls. People
focked in great numbers to welcome the
locomotive whose dark smoke eurled
above the hills and made known to dis
tant points that the great work was done.
The baud hailed the locomotive with
martial airs and popular enthusiasm was
aroused to the highest pitch. Later on
the last spike was driven here.
forms in itself a great trunk line which
connects Great Falls and the interior OF
Montana with the extensive system OF the
St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba rail
road. The construction of the Montana
extension, as this steel highway OF 54e
miles is called, forms a remarkable event
in railroad building. The contract for
this great enterprise was awarded by
President James J. Hill to Shepherd,
Winston s. Co, a firm formed by two great
railroad builders, who after carrying out
contracts Of vast proportions united their
forces to undertake this enterprise. They
bound themselves to build the 54S mites
of railroad and hand it over COMPLETED t.
the Manitoba railroad within a period al
six months. To undertake II work Of this
magnitude involved the accumulation ot
a large quantity Of provisions, an outfit o.
vast extent, and the organization of what
might be termed an army OF laborefs,
This was accomplished by the energy OF
the firms representative and business rs
sociate, Peter Seims, an1 his able iieuten
ants. Messrs. Fogarty and Smith.
For months previous to the actual com
mencement Of operations, General Super
intendent Egan had forwarded from vari
Gus points large quantities of material -
as to accumulate an ample supply ii
Minot, which he had chosen as the base Of
operations.
THE WORK COMMENCED.
Work was begun toward the end of
April. the severity Of tie previous Wiatel
having prevented an earlier start. From
Minot. which is ON the Mouse river, thu
line was built first to the "Cotoes"-a dis
lance of 26 miles. On this part of thu
work there was some heavy bridgiug IL
be done, including the viaducts over thu
two coulees named respective Y the Gas
man and Big Mary. The former viadact
is / ,e2o feet long and 10 feet above the
water in the creek. The Big Mary cou!ee
bridge is 400 feet long and So feet high
These great undertakings did not retard
the advance of the track, which was TX
tended rapidly to White Earth, passing
through tile "Cotoes'' toWhite Earth creek.
The maximum grade had so far not ex-
ceeded six tenths and the curvature was
not over three degrees. From White
Earth the line passes up the valley Of that
name to the summit" which divides il
from Stony creek valley through which il
extends to the crossing of the Little Mud
dy, (Dakota). The ground solar had been
favorable for the builders, except at a few
places on White Earth creek, where slides
caused considerable trouble.
TIL MISSOURI IN SIGHT.
The line was now in the valley of The
Missouri and all beheld that majestic
river with sentiments of wonder and glad
ness. For the first few miles in this re
gion, the ground was favorable and the
builders seemed to have entered the pro
missed land, but as the line gradually ap
preached Bufofds it became necessary Il
skirt the cliffs which tower like grin
fortresses above the river. The energy
and resolutions Of the contractors were
however, equal TO the occasion. All DIFF
f~iculties were promptly oyecome and thu
track was extended successfully to Bufort
which was reached toward the end o
June. The line was then ii miles from
Minot.
ONWARD! oNWARDti
From Buford the line was built alan:
the river bank for a distance of 10 miles
when it was suddenly turned nofthWare
and was constructed along the Little
Muddy Of Montana il whose angr.
waters a tealnster was drowned, the ont,
mishap 50 far. Bad weather now set II
and for a while work was partly suspend
ed. But the respite was short. Tn
grand army was again IN motion an
rapid strides were made toward the POP
lar river through a fertile and Well-Water
ed country. The track was now IN til
garden spotof Montana and all e%nersie
of the railroad builders were put forth t
reach the goal at Great Falls. b yigoi
Gus efforts the steel highway was extend
ed along the Milk river whose tortuou
course was crossed five times. In da